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{{Short description|Portable device to make telephone calls using a radio link}}
{{For|the modern mobile phone|Smartphone}}
{{Redirect2|Cell Phone|Handphone|the films|Cell Phone (film){{!}}''Cell Phone'' (film)|and|Handphone (film){{!}}''Handphone'' (film)}}
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[[File:Mobile Phone Evolution 1992 - 2014.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Two decades of evolution of mobile phones, from a 1992 [[Motorola DynaTAC|Motorola DynaTAC 8000X]] to the 2014 [[iPhone 6 Plus]]]]
A '''mobile phone''' or '''cell phone''' is a portable [[telephone]] that allows users to make and receive [[Telephone call|calls]] over a [[radio frequency]] link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-___location phones ([[landline phones]]). This radio frequency link connects to the switching systems of a [[mobile phone operator]], providing access to the [[public switched telephone network]] (PSTN). Modern mobile telephony relies on a [[cellular network]] architecture, which is why mobile phones are often referred to as 'cell phones' in North America.
Beyond traditional [[Voice call|voice communication]], digital mobile phones have evolved to support a wide range of additional services. These include [[text messaging]], [[Multimedia Messaging Service|multimedia messaging]], [[email]], and [[internet access]] (via [[LTE (telecommunication)|LTE]], [[5G NR]] or [[Wi-Fi]]), as well as short-range wireless technologies like [[Bluetooth]], [[Infrared Data Association|infrared]], and [[ultra-wideband]] (UWB).
Mobile phones also support a variety of [[multimedia]] capabilities, such as [[digital photography]], [[video recording]], and [[Video gaming|gaming]]. In addition, they enable multimedia playback and [[Streaming media|streaming]], including video content, as well as [[Internet radio|radio]] and [[Streaming television|television streaming]]. Furthermore, mobile phones offer [[Communications satellite|satellite-based]] services, such as [[Satellite navigation|navigation]] and [[Satellite phone#Integration into conventional mobile phones|messaging]], as well as business applications and [[Mobile payment|payment solutions]] (via [[QR code payment|scanning QR codes]] or [[near-field communication]] (NFC)). Mobile phones offering only basic features are often referred to as [[feature phone]]s ([[slang]]: ''dumbphones''), while those with advanced computing power are known as [[smartphone]]s.<ref name="Srivastava">{{cite book |last1=Srivastava |first1=Viranjay M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fkO9BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1 |title=MOSFET Technologies for Double-Pole Four-Throw Radio-Frequency Switch |last2=Singh |first2=Ghanshyam |date=2013 |publisher=[[Springer Science & Business Media]] |isbn=978-3319011653 |page=1}}</ref>
The first handheld mobile phone was demonstrated by [[Martin Cooper (inventor)|Martin Cooper]] of [[Motorola]] in [[New York City]] on 3 April 1973, using a handset weighing c. 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs).<ref name="Inventor">{{cite web |last1=Teixeira |first1=Tania |title=Meet the man who invented the mobile phone |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/8639590.stm |website=BBC News |access-date=2 July 2021 |date=23 April 2010}}</ref> In 1979, [[Nippon Telegraph and Telephone]] (NTT) launched the world's first cellular network in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-21|title=Timeline from 1G to 5G: A Brief History on Cell Phones|url=https://www.cengn.ca/information-centre/innovation/timeline-from-1g-to-5g-a-brief-history-on-cell-phones/|access-date=2022-02-18|website=CENGN|language=en-US}}</ref> In 1983, the [[Motorola DynaTAC|DynaTAC 8000x]] was the first commercially available handheld mobile phone. From 1993 to 2024, worldwide mobile phone subscriptions grew to over 9.1 billion; enough to provide one for every person on Earth.<ref>Taylor, Petroc. "Mobile Phone Subscriptions Worldwide 2024." [https://www.statista.com/statistics/262950/global-mobile-subscriptions-since-1993/ ''Statista''], 10 Mar. 2025.</ref><ref name="ITU">{{cite news|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/332274/there-more-mobile-phones-people.html |title=Mobile penetration |quote=Almost 40 percent of the world's population, 2.7 billion people, are online. The developing world is home to about 826 million female internet users and 980 million male internet users. The developed world is home to about 475 million female Internet users and 483 million male Internet users.|date=9 July 2010}}</ref> In 2024, the top smartphone manufacturers worldwide were [[Samsung Electronics|Samsung]], [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] and [[Xiaomi]]; smartphone sales represented about 50 percent of total mobile phone sales.<ref>[https://www.statista.com/statistics/271496/global-market-share-held-by-smartphone-vendors-since-4th-quarter-2009/ Sherif, Ahmed]. "Smartphone Market Shares by Vendor 2009-2024." ''Statista'', 14 Jan. 2025. </ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3323017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160522162950/http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3323017 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 22 May 2016 |title= Gartner Says Worldwide Smartphone Sales Grew 3.9 Percent in First Quarter of 2016 |publisher= Gartner |access-date= 21 May 2016}}</ref> For feature phones {{as of|2016|lc=y}}, the top-selling brands were Samsung, [[HMD Global|Nokia]] and [[Alcatel Mobile|Alcatel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.strategyanalytics.com/strategy-analytics/blogs/enterprise/wearables/emerging-devices/2017/02/24/nokia-captured-9-feature-phone-marketshare-worldwide-in-2016 |title=Nokia Captured 9% Feature Phone Marketshare Worldwide in 2016 |publisher=Strategyanalytics.com |date=24 February 2017 |access-date=7 September 2018}}</ref>
Mobile phones are considered an important human invention as they have been one of the most widely used and sold pieces of [[Consumer_electronics|consumer technology]].<ref name=":0">{{cite journal | doi=10.1002/hbe2.112 | title=Mobile phones: Impacts, challenges, and predictions | year=2019 | last1=Harris | first1=Arlene | last2=Cooper | first2=Martin | journal=Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies | volume=1 | pages=15–17 | s2cid=187189041 | doi-access=free |issn=2578-1863 }}</ref> The growth in popularity has been rapid in some places; for example, in the UK, the total number of mobile phones overtook the number of houses in 1999.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/591443.stm | title=BBC News | Business | Mobile phone sales surge }}</ref> Today, mobile phones are globally ubiquitous,<ref name=":1">{{cite journal | url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/1963533.1963545 | doi=10.1145/1963533.1963545 | title=Ubiquitous mobile phones are becoming indispensable | year=2011 | last1=Gupta | first1=Gireesh K. | journal=ACM Inroads | volume=2 | issue=2 | pages=32–33 | s2cid=2942617 | url-access=subscription }}</ref> and in almost half the world's countries, over 90% of the population owns at least one.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.itu.int/highlights-report-activities/highlights-report-activities/agenda_section/mobile-phones-are-becoming-ubiquitous/ |title=Mobile phones are becoming ubiquitous |date=17 February 2022 |website=[[International Telecommunication Union]] (ITU) |access-date=17 June 2022 |archive-date=4 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904055723/https://www.itu.int/highlights-report-activities/highlights-report-activities/agenda_section/mobile-phones-are-becoming-ubiquitous/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== Name ==
"Mobile phone" is the most common English language term, while the term "cell phone" is in more common use in North America<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/cell-phone_n?tl=true|title=cell phone, n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary}}</ref> - both are in essence shorter versions of "''mobile telephone''" and "''cellular telephone''", respectively. Often in colloquial terms it is referred to as simply '''phone''', '''mobile''' or '''cell'''. A number of alternative words have also been used to describe a mobile phone, most of which have fallen out of use, including: "''mobile handset''", "''wireless phone''", "''mobile terminal''", "''cellular device''", "''hand phone''", and "''pocket phone''".
==History==
{{Main|History of mobile phones}}
{{see also|List of wireless network technologies}}
[[File:2007Computex e21Forum-MartinCooper.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Martin Cooper (inventor)|Martin Cooper]] of Motorola, shown here in a 2007 reenactment, made the first publicized handheld mobile phone call on a prototype DynaTAC model on 3 April 1973.]]
A handheld mobile radio telephone service was envisioned in the early stages of radio engineering. In 1917, [[Finland|Finnish]] inventor [[Eric Tigerstedt]] filed a patent for a "pocket-size folding telephone with a very thin carbon microphone". Early predecessors of cellular phones included [[analog signal|analog]] radio communications from ships and trains. The race to create truly portable telephone devices began after World War II, with developments taking place in many countries. The advances in [[mobile telephony]] have been traced in successive "generations", starting with the early zeroth-generation ([[Mobile radio telephone|0G]]) services, such as [[Bell System]]'s [[Mobile Telephone Service]] and its successor, the [[Improved Mobile Telephone Service]]. These 0G systems were not [[Cellular network|cellular]], supported a few simultaneous calls, and were very expensive.
[[File:DynaTAC8000X.jpg|thumb|left|upright=.5|The [[Motorola DynaTAC]] 8000X. In 1983, it became the first commercially available handheld cellular mobile phone.]]
Mobile phone technology has progressed significantly since its origins, evolving from large car-mounted systems to compact, handheld devices.<ref>{{Cite patent|number=US3663762A|title=Mobile communication system|gdate=1972-05-16|invent1=Jr|inventor1-first=Edward Joel Amos|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US3663762A/en}}</ref><ref>Meurling, J., Jeans, R. The Mobile Phone Book Communications Week International, 1994, ISBN 0-9524031-0-2 page 16</ref> Early mobile phones required vehicle installation due to their size and power needs.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goggin |first=Gerard |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/ocm64595837 |title=Cell phone culture: mobile technology in everyday life |date=2006 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-36743-1 |___location=London ; New York |oclc=ocm64595837}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Garrard |first=Garry A. |title=Cellular communications: worldwide market development |date=1998 |publisher=Artech House |isbn=978-0-89006-923-3 |series=The Artech House mobile communications series |___location=Boston}}</ref> A major breakthrough came in 1973, when the first handheld cellular mobile phone was demonstrated by [[John Francis Mitchell|John F. Mitchell]]<ref name="John F. Mitchell Biography">{{Cite web |url=http://www.brophy.net/PivotX/?p=john-francis-mitchell-biography |title=John F. Mitchell Biography |access-date=4 October 2012 |archive-date=23 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223150703/http://www.brophy.net/PivotX/?p=john-francis-mitchell-biography |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Who invented the cell phone">{{Cite web |url=http://www.brophy.net/PivotX/?p=john-francis-mitchell-biography#CELLPHONEINVENTOR |title=Who invented the cell phone? |access-date=4 October 2012 |archive-date=23 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223150703/http://www.brophy.net/PivotX/?p=john-francis-mitchell-biography#CELLPHONEINVENTOR |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Martin Cooper (inventor)|Martin Cooper]] of [[Motorola Mobility|Motorola]], using a handset weighing {{convert|2|kg|lbs}}.<ref name="Inventor"/><ref>{{Cite news |date=2003-04-21 |title=A chat with the man behind mobiles |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2963619.stm |access-date=2025-06-27 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite patent|number=US3906166A|title=Radio telephone system|gdate=1975-09-16|invent1=Cooper|invent2=Dronsuth|invent3=Leitich|invent4=Lynk|inventor1-first=Martin|inventor2-first=Richard W.|inventor3-first=Albert J.|inventor4-first=Jr Charles N.|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US3906166/en}}</ref> Cooper made the first ever call on a cell phone when he called [[Joel S. Engel]], a rival of his who worked for [[AT&T]], saying, "I’m calling you on a cell phone, but a real cell phone, a personal, handheld, portable cell phone."<ref>{{cite news|work=[[CNN]]|title= 50 years ago, he made the first cell phone call |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/03/tech/cell-phone-turns-50|first=Jennifer|last=Korn|date=3 April 2023|access-date=30 June 2025}}</ref>
The first commercial automated cellular network ([[1G]]) [[Analog signal|analog]] was launched in Japan by [[Nippon Telegraph and Telephone]] in 1979. This was followed in 1981 by the simultaneous launch of the [[Nordic Mobile Telephone]] (NMT) system in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tekniskamuseet.se/mobilen/engelska/1980_90.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081022043906/http://www.tekniskamuseet.se/mobilen/engelska/1980_90.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 October 2008 |title=Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology |publisher=Tekniskamuseet.se |access-date=29 July 2009 }}</ref> Several other countries then followed in the early to mid-1980s. These first-generation ([[1G]]) systems could support far more simultaneous calls but still used [[analog electronics|analog]] cellular technology. In 1983, the [[Motorola DynaTAC|DynaTAC 8000x]] was the first commercially available handheld mobile phone.
In 1991, the second-generation ([[2G]]) digital cellular technology was launched in Finland by [[Radiolinja]] on the [[GSM]] standard. This sparked competition in the sector as the new operators challenged the incumbent 1G network operators. The GSM standard is a European initiative expressed at the [[European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations|CEPT]] ("Conférence Européenne des Postes et Telecommunications", European Postal and Telecommunications conference). The Franco-German R&D cooperation demonstrated the technical feasibility, and in 1987, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between 13 European countries that agreed to launch a commercial service by 1991. The first version of the GSM standard had 6,000 pages. The [[IEEE]] and [[Royal Society of Edinburgh|RSE]] awarded [[Thomas Haug]] and [[Philippe Dupuis (engineer)|Philippe Dupuis]] the 2018 [[IEEE/RSE James Clerk Maxwell Medal|James Clerk Maxwell medal]] for their contributions to the first digital mobile telephone standard.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ieee-ukandireland.org/duke-of-cambridge-presents-maxwell-medals-to-gsm-developers/|title=Duke of Cambridge Presents Maxwell Medals to GSM Developers|publisher= IEEE United Kingdom and Ireland Section|date= 2018-09-01|access-date= 2020-12-10}}</ref> In 2018, the GSM was used by over 5 billion people in over 220 countries. The GSM (2G) has evolved into 3G, 4G and 5G. The standardization body for GSM started at the CEPT Working Group GSM (Group Special Mobile) in 1982 under the umbrella of CEPT. In 1988, [[ETSI]] was established, and all CEPT standardization activities were transferred to ETSI. Working Group GSM became Technical Committee GSM. In 1991, it became Technical Committee SMG (Special Mobile Group) when ETSI tasked the committee with UMTS (3G). In addition to transmitting voice over digital signals, the 2G network introduced data services for mobile, starting with [[SMS]] text messages, then expanding to [[Multimedia Messaging Service]] (MMS), and [[Mobile web|mobile internet]] with a theoretical maximum transfer speed of 384 kbit/s (48 kB/s).
[[File:Dupuis Haug GSM around 1990.jpg|thumb|Dupuis and Haug during a GSM meeting in Belgium, April 1992]]
[[File:Mobile phone PHS Japan 1997-2003.jpg|thumb|[[Personal Handy-phone System]] mobiles and modems, 1997–2003]]
In 2001, the third-generation ([[3G]]) was launched in Japan by [[NTT DoCoMo]] on the [[WCDMA]] standard.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.umtsworld.com/umts/history.htm |title=History of UMTS and 3G Development |work=Umtsworld.com |access-date=29 July 2009 }}</ref> This was followed by 3.5G or 3G+ enhancements based on the [[High-Speed Packet Access|high-speed packet access]] (HSPA) family, allowing [[UMTS]] networks to have higher data transfer speeds and capacity. 3G is able to provide [[IEEE 802.20|mobile broadband]] access of several [[Mbps|Mbit/s]] to smartphones and [[Mobile modem|mobile modems]] in laptop computers. This ensures it can be applied to mobile Internet access, [[Voice over IP|VoIP]], video calls, and sending large e-mail messages, as well as watching videos, typically in [[Standard-definition television|standard-definition]] quality.
By 2009, it had become clear that, at some point, 3G networks would be overwhelmed by the growth of bandwidth-intensive applications, such as [[streaming media]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ece.iupui.edu/~dskim/Classes/ECE695MWN/2006-saeed-Capacity_Limit_Problem_in_3G_Networks.ppt | title=Capacity Limit Problem in 3G Networks | author=Fahd Ahmad Saeed | publisher=Purdue School of Engineering | access-date=23 April 2010}}</ref> Consequently, the industry began looking to data-optimized fourth-generation ([[4G]]) technologies, with the promise of speed improvements up to tenfold over existing 3G technologies. The first publicly available [[LTE (telecommunication)|LTE]] service was launched in Scandinavia by [[TeliaSonera]] in 2009. In the 2010s, 4G technology has found diverse applications across various sectors, showcasing its versatility in delivering high-speed wireless communication, such as mobile broadband, the [[internet of things]] (IoT), [[fixed wireless access]], and multimedia streaming (including music, video, [[Internet radio|radio]], and [[Mobile television|television]]).
Deployment of fifth-generation ([[5G]]) cellular networks commenced worldwide in 2019. The term "5G" was originally used in research papers and projects to denote the next major phase in mobile telecommunication standards beyond the [[4G]]/[[IMT-Advanced]] standards. The [[3GPP]] defines 5G as any system that adheres to the [[5G NR]] (5G New Radio) standard. 5G can be implemented in low-band, mid-band or high-band millimeter-wave, with download speeds that can achieve [[Gigabit per second|gigabit-per-second]] (Gbit/s) range, aiming for a network latency of 1 ms. This near-real-time responsiveness and improved overall data performance are crucial for applications like [[Online game|online gaming]], [[Augmented reality|augmented]] and [[virtual reality]], [[autonomous vehicles]], IoT, and critical communication services.
==Types==
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[[File:Active mobile broadband subscriptions 2007-2014.svg|thumb|upright=1.6|Active mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx|title=Statistics|work=ITU}}</ref>]]
===Smartphone===
{{main|Smartphone}}
Smartphones are defined by their advanced computing capabilities, which include internet connectivity and access to a wide range of applications. The [[International Telecommunication Union]] measures those with Internet connection, which it calls ''Active Mobile-Broadband subscriptions'' (which includes tablets, etc.). In developed countries, smartphones have largely replaced earlier mobile technologies, while in developing regions, they account for around 50% of all mobile phone usage.
===Feature phone===
{{main|Feature phone}}
Feature phone is a term typically used as a [[retronym]] to describe mobile phones which are limited in capabilities in contrast to a modern smartphone. Feature phones typically provide [[voice calling]] and [[text messaging]] functionality, in addition to basic [[multimedia]] and [[Internet]] capabilities, and other services offered by the user's [[wireless service provider]]. A feature phone has additional functions over and above a basic mobile phone, which is only capable of voice calling and text messaging.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/62894/feature-phone|title=feature phone Definition from PC Magazine Encyclopedia|website=www.pcmag.com}}</ref><ref name="forbes-twoweeks">Todd Hixon, [https://www.forbes.com/sites/toddhixon/2012/11/13/two-weeks-with-a-dumb-phone/ Two Weeks With A Dumb Phone] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730214836/https://www.forbes.com/sites/toddhixon/2012/11/13/two-weeks-with-a-dumb-phone/ |date=30 July 2017 }}, ''Forbes'', 13 November 2012</ref> Feature phones and basic mobile phones tend to use a proprietary, custom-designed [[software]] and [[user interface]]. By contrast, smartphones generally use a [[mobile operating system]] that often shares common traits across devices.
==Infrastructure==
{{main|Cellular network|Wi-Fi}}
[[File:frequency reuse.svg|thumb|Cellular networks work by only reusing radio frequencies (in this example frequencies f1–f4) in non adjacent cells to avoid interference]]
The critical advantage that modern cellular networks have over predecessor systems is the concept of [[frequency reuse]] allowing many simultaneous telephone conversations in a given service area. This allows efficient use of the limited [[radio spectrum]] allocated to mobile services, and lets thousands of subscribers converse at the same time within a given geographic area.
Former systems would cover a service area with one or two powerful [[base station]]s with a range of up to tens of kilometers' (miles), using only a few sets of radio channels (frequencies). Once these few channels were in use by customers, no further customers could be served until another user vacated a channel. It would be impractical to give every customer a unique channel since there would not be enough [[Bandwidth (computing)|bandwidth]] allocated to the mobile service. As well, technical limitations such as antenna efficiency and receiver design limit the range of frequencies a customer unit could use.
A [[cellular network]] mobile phone system gets its name from dividing the service area into many small cells, each with a base station with (for example) a useful range on the order of a kilometer (mile). These systems have dozens or hundreds of possible channels allocated to them. When a subscriber is using a given channel for a telephone connection, that frequency is unavailable for other customers in the local cell and in the adjacent cells. However, cells further away can re-use that channel without interference as the subscriber's handset is too far away to be detected. The transmitter power of each base station is coordinated to efficiently service its own cell, but not to interfere with the cells further away.
Automation embedded in the customer's handset and in the base stations control all phases of the call, from detecting the presence of a handset in a service area, temporary assignment of a channel to a handset making a call, interface with the land-line side of the network to connect to other subscribers, and collection of billing information for the service. The automation systems can control the "hand off" of a customer handset moving between one cell and another so that a call in progress continues without interruption, changing channels if required. In the earliest mobile phone systems by contrast, all control was done manually; the customer would search for an unoccupied channel and speak to a mobile operator to request connection of a call to a landline number or another mobile. At the termination of the call the mobile operator would manually record the billing information.
Mobile phones communicate with cell towers that are placed to give coverage across a telephone service area, which is divided up into 'cells'. Each cell uses a different set of frequencies from neighboring cells, and will typically be covered by three towers placed at different locations. The cell towers are usually interconnected to each other and the phone network and the internet by wired connections. Due to bandwidth limitations each cell will have a maximum number of cell phones it can handle at once. The cells are therefore sized depending on the expected usage density, and may be much smaller in cities. In that case much lower transmitter powers are used to avoid broadcasting beyond the cell.
In order to handle the high traffic, multiple towers can be set up in the same area (using different frequencies). This can be done permanently or temporarily such as at special events or in disasters. Cell phone companies will bring a truck with equipment to host the abnormally high traffic.
Capacity was further increased when phone companies implemented digital networks. With digital, one frequency can host multiple simultaneous calls.
Additionally, short-range [[Wi-Fi]] infrastructure is often used by smartphones as much as possible as it offloads traffic from cell networks on to local area networks.
==Hardware==
{{Main|Mobile phone features}}
The common components found on all mobile phones are:
* A [[central processing unit]] (CPU), the processor of phones. The CPU is a [[microprocessor]] fabricated on a [[metal–oxide–semiconductor]] (MOS) [[integrated circuit]] (IC) chip.
* A [[battery (electricity)|battery]], providing the power source for the phone functions. A modern handset typically uses a [[lithium-ion battery]] (LIB), whereas older handsets used [[nickel–metal hydride]] (Ni–MH) batteries.
* An input mechanism to allow the user to interact with the phone. These are a [[keypad]] for feature phones, and [[touch screens]] for most smartphones (typically with [[capacitive sensing]]).
* A [[display device|display]] which echoes the user's typing, and displays text messages, contacts, and more. The display is typically either a [[liquid-crystal display]] (LCD) or [[organic light-emitting diode]] (OLED) display.
* [[Loudspeaker|Speakers]] for sound.
* [[Subscriber identity module]] (SIM) cards and removable user identity module (R-UIM) cards.
* A hardware [[notification LED]] on some phones
Low-end mobile phones are often referred to as [[feature phone]]s and offer basic telephony. Handsets with more advanced computing ability through the use of native software applications are known as smartphones. The first [[GSM]] phones and many feature phones had [[NOR flash memory]], from which processor instructions could be executed directly in an execute in place architecture and allowed for short boot times. With smartphones, [[NAND flash memory]] was adopted as it has larger storage capacities and lower costs, but causes longer boot times because instructions cannot be executed from it directly, and must be copied to RAM memory first before execution.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vaq11vKwo_kC&dq=nand+flash+copy+sram&pg=PA12 | title=Inside NAND Flash Memories | isbn=978-90-481-9431-5 | last1=Micheloni | first1=Rino | last2=Crippa | first2=Luca | last3=Marelli | first3=Alessia | date=27 July 2010 | publisher=Springer }}</ref>
===Central processing unit===
Mobile phones have [[central processing unit]]s (CPUs), similar to those in computers, but optimised to operate in low power environments.
Mobile CPU performance depends not only on the clock rate (generally given in multiples of [[hertz]])<ref>{{cite web
| title = CPU Frequency
| work = CPU World Glossary
| publisher = CPU World
| date = 25 March 2008
| url = http://www.cpu-world.com/Glossary/C/CPU_Frequency.html
| access-date =1 January 2010 }}</ref> but also the [[memory hierarchy]] also greatly affects overall performance. Because of these problems, the performance of mobile phone CPUs is often more appropriately given by scores derived from various standardized tests to measure the real effective performance in commonly used applications.
===Display===
{{main|Display device}}
One of the main characteristics of phones is the [[Display device|screen]]. Depending on the device's type and design, the screen fills most or nearly all of the space on a device's front surface. Many smartphone displays have an [[Display aspect ratio|aspect ratio]] of [[16:9]], but taller aspect ratios became more common in 2017.
Screen sizes are often measured in diagonal [[inch]]es or [[millimeter]]s; feature phones generally have screen sizes below {{convert|3.5|inch|mm|round=5|order=flip}}. Phones with screens larger than {{convert|5.2|inch|mm|round=5|order=flip}} are often called "[[phablet]]s." Smartphones with screens over {{convert|4.5|inch|mm|round=5|order=flip}} in size are commonly difficult to use with only a single hand, since most thumbs cannot reach the entire screen surface; they may need to be shifted around in the hand, held in one hand and manipulated by the other, or used in place with both hands. Due to design advances, some modern smartphones with large screen sizes and "edge-to-edge" designs have compact builds that improve their ergonomics, while the shift to taller aspect ratios have resulted in phones that have larger screen sizes whilst maintaining the ergonomics associated with smaller 16:9 displays.<ref name="phonearena-s7edgenotphablet">{{cite web|title=Don't call it a phablet: the 5.5" Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is narrower than many 5.2" devices|url=http://www.phonearena.com/news/Dont-call-it-a-phablet-the-5.5-Samsung-Galaxy-S7-Edge-is-narrower-than-many-5.2-devices_id79482|website=PhoneArena|date=21 March 2016 |access-date=3 April 2017}}</ref><ref name="verge-phabletpytha">{{cite web|title=We're gonna need Pythagoras' help to compare screen sizes in 2017|url=https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2017/3/30/15120824/screen-aspect-ratio-mathematics-galaxy-s8-lg-g6|website=The Verge|date=30 March 2017|access-date=3 April 2017}}</ref><ref name="verge-s8aspectratio">{{cite web|title=The Samsung Galaxy S8 will change the way we think about display sizes|url=https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/3/30/15121526/samsung-galaxy-s8-vs-google-pixel-iphone-7-screen-size-comparison|website=The Verge|date=30 March 2017|publisher=Vox Media|access-date=3 April 2017}}</ref>
[[Liquid-crystal display]]s are the most common; others are [[IPS panel|IPS]], [[LED]], [[OLED]], and [[AMOLED]] displays. Some displays are integrated with pressure-sensitive digitizers, such as those developed by [[Wacom (company)|Wacom]] and [[Samsung]],<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ward|first1=J. R.|last2=Phillips|first2=M. J.|date=1987-04-01|title=Digitizer Technology: Performance Characteristics and the Effects on the User Interface|journal=IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications|volume=7|issue=4|pages=31–44|doi=10.1109/MCG.1987.276869|s2cid=16707568|issn=0272-1716}}</ref> and Apple's "[[3D Touch]]" system.
==
In sound, smartphones and feature phones vary little. Some audio-quality enhancing features, such as [[Voice over LTE]] and [[HD Voice]], have appeared and are often available on newer smartphones. Sound quality can remain a problem due to the design of the phone, the quality of the cellular network and compression algorithms used in [[long-distance call]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/why-mobile-voice-quality-still-stinksand-how-to-fix-it|title=Why Mobile Voice Quality Still Stinks – and How to Fix It|author=Jeff Hecht|work=[[IEEE]]|date=30 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-is-cell-phone-call-quality-so-terrible|title=Why Is Cell Phone Call Quality So Terrible?|author=Elena Malykhina|work=Scientific American}}</ref> Audio quality can be improved using a [[VoIP]] application over [[WiFi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lifehacker.com/whats-the-best-mobile-voip-app-1579791681|title=What's the Best Mobile VoIP App?|author=Alan Henry|publisher=Gawker Media|work=Lifehacker|date=22 May 2014 }}</ref> Cellphones have small speakers so that the user can use a [[speakerphone]] feature and talk to a person on the phone without holding it to their ear. The small speakers can also be used to listen to digital audio files of music or speech or watch videos with an audio component, without holding the phone close to the ear.
===
The typical lifespan of a mobile phone battery is approximately two to three years, although this varies based on usage patterns, environmental conditions, and overall care. Most modern mobile phones use [[Lithium-ion battery|lithium-ion]] (Li-ion) batteries, which are designed to endure between 500 and 2,500 charge cycles. The exact number of cycles depends on factors such as charging habits, operating temperature, and battery management systems.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.phonedog.com/2011/08/07/how-to-prolong-your-cell-phone-battery-s-life-span|title=How To Prolong Your Cell Phone Battery's Life Span|last=Taylor|first=Martin|work=Phonedog.com|access-date=8 June 2018}}</ref>
Li-ion batteries gradually degrade over time due to chemical aging, leading to reduced capacity and performance, often noticeable after one or two years of regular use. Unlike older battery types, such as [[Nickel–metal hydride battery|nickel-metal hydride]] (Ni-MH), Li-ion batteries do not need to be fully discharged to maintain their longevity. In fact, they perform best when kept between 30% and 80% of their full charge.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Should lithium ion batteries be fully discharged before charging?-battery-knowledge {{!}} Large Power |url=https://www.large.net/news/85u43q0.html |access-date=2024-11-30 |website=www.large.net}}</ref> While practices such as avoiding excessive heat and minimizing overcharging can help preserve battery health, many modern devices include built-in safeguards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is a Lithium-ion Battery Protection IC? – Understanding the Role, Functionality, and Importance |url=https://www.ablic.com/en/semicon/products/power-management-ic/lithium-ion-battery-protection-ic/intro/ |access-date=2024-11-30 |website=ABLIC Inc. |language=en-US}}</ref> These safeguards, typically managed by the phone's internal battery management system (BMS), prevent overcharging by cutting off power once the battery reaches full capacity. Additionally, most contemporary chargers and devices are designed to regulate charging to minimize stress on the battery. Therefore, while good charging habits can positively impact battery longevity, most users benefit from these integrated protections, making battery maintenance less of a concern in day-to-day use.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208387|title=Iphone Battery and Performance|website=Apple Support|access-date=8 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/expert-advice-on-how-to-avoid-destroying-your-phones-battery/|title=Should You Leave Your Smartphone Plugged Into The Charger Overnight? We Asked An Expert|last=Hill|first=Simon|work=Digital Trends|access-date=8 June 2018}}</ref>
Future mobile phone batteries are expected to utilize advanced technologies such as [[Silicon-carbon battery|silicon-carbon]] (Si/C) batteries and [[Solid-state battery|solid-state]] batteries, which promise to offer higher energy densities, longer lifespans, and improved safety compared to current lithium-ion batteries.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Richardson |first=Melodie |date=2020-06-24 |title=Increasing battery capacity: going Si high |url=https://www.mewburn.com/news-insights/increasing-battery-capacity-going-si-high |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=www.mewburn.com |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Si/C Composites for Battery Materials |url=https://www.acsmaterial.com/blog-detail/sic-composites-for-battery-materials.html |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=www.acsmaterial.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-27 |title=Solid-state batteries are finally making their way out of the lab |url=https://www.freethink.com/hard-tech/future-of-solid-state-batteries |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=Freethink |language=en-US}}</ref>
===SIM card===
{{Main|SIM card|Removable User Identity Module}}
[[File:Typical cellphone SIM cards.jpg|thumb|upright|Typical mobile phone mini-[[SIM card]]]]
Mobile phones require a small [[Integrated circuit|microchip]] called a Subscriber Identity Module or [[SIM card]], in order to function. The SIM card is approximately the size of a small postage stamp and is usually placed underneath the battery in the rear of the unit. The SIM securely stores the [[International Mobile Subscriber Identity|service-subscriber key (IMSI)]] and the [[Authentication Center|K<sub>i</sub>]] used to identify and authenticate the user of the mobile phone. The SIM card allows users to change phones by simply removing the SIM card from one mobile phone and inserting it into another mobile phone or broadband telephony device, provided that this is not prevented by a [[SIM lock]]. The first SIM card was made in 1991 by Munich smart card maker [[Giesecke & Devrient]] for the Finnish wireless network operator [[Radiolinja]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2013}}
A hybrid mobile phone can hold up to four SIM cards, with a phone having a different [[IMEI|device identifier]] for each SIM Card. SIM and [[R-UIM]] cards may be mixed together to allow both [[GSM]] and [[CDMA]] networks to be accessed. From 2010 onwards, such phones became popular in emerging markets,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110429/wr_nm/us_handsets | title=Smartphone boom lifts phone market in first quarter | agency=Reuters | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110508150638/http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110429/wr_nm/us_handsets|archive-date=8 May 2011|date=29 April 2011|access-date=6 May 2019}}</ref> and this was attributed to the desire to obtain the lowest calling costs.
When the removal of a SIM card is detected by the operating system, it may deny further operation until a reboot.<ref>{{cite web |title=How to Fix 'No SIM Card Detected' Error on Android |url=https://www.maketecheasier.com/fix-no-sim-card-detected-android/ |website=Make Tech Easier |date=20 September 2020}}</ref>
==Software==
===Software platforms===
[[File:Android_phones.jpg|thumb|Android smartphones]]
{{main|Mobile operating system}}
{{Expand section|date=October 2018}}
Feature phones have basic software platforms. Smartphones have advanced software platforms. [[Android (operating system)|Android OS]] has been the [[Usage share of operating systems|best-selling OS]] worldwide on smartphones since 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abiresearch.com/press/android-overtakes-apple-with-44-worldwide-share-of |title=Android Overtakes Apple with 44% Worldwide Share of Mobile App Downloads |publisher=Allied Business Intelligence Research |access-date=18 April 2025 }}</ref> As of March 2025, [[Android (operating system)|Android OS]] had 71.9% of the overall market share, while the second-largest, [[iOS]], had 27.7%.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/worldwide/#monthly-200901-202503 |title=Mobile Operating System Market Share Worldwide |publisher=StatCounter |access-date=18 April 2025 }}</ref>
===Mobile app===
{{main|Mobile app}}
A mobile app is a computer program designed to run on a mobile device, such as a smartphone. The term "app" is a shortening of the term "software application".
;Messaging
{{see also|SMS|Multimedia Messaging Service{{!}}MMS}}
[[File:IPhone Text Message Amber Alert 1882467856 o.jpg|thumb|A text message (SMS)]]
A common data application on mobile phones is [[SMS|Short Message Service]] (SMS) text messaging. The first SMS message was sent from a computer to a mobile phone in 1992 in the UK while the first person-to-person SMS from phone to phone was sent in Finland in 1993. The first [[mobile news]] service, delivered via SMS, was launched in Finland in 2000,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lynn|first=Natalie|date=2016-03-10|title=The History and Evolution of Mobile Advertising|url=https://gimbal.com/history-evolution-mobile-advertising/|access-date=2021-10-03|website=Gimbal|language=en-US}}</ref> and subsequently many organizations provided "on-demand" and "instant" news services by SMS. [[Multimedia Messaging Service]] (MMS) was introduced in March 2002.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bodic|first=Gwenaël Le|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rYeHSlp0CMsC&q=2002|title=Mobile Messaging Technologies and Services: SMS, EMS and MMS|date=2005-07-08|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0-470-01451-6|language=en}}</ref>
===Application stores===
{{Main|List of mobile app distribution platforms}}
The introduction of Apple's App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch in July 2008 popularized manufacturer-hosted [[list of mobile app distribution platforms|online distribution]] for third-party applications (software and computer programs) focused on a single platform. There are a huge variety of apps, including [[video game]]s, music products and business tools. Up until that point, smartphone application distribution depended on [[List of mobile app distribution platforms#Third-party platforms|third-party sources]] providing applications for multiple platforms, such as [[GetJar]], [[Handango]], [[Handmark]], and [[PocketGear]]. Following the success of the App Store, other smartphone manufacturers launched application stores, such as Google's Android Market (later renamed to the Google Play Store), RIM's [[BlackBerry App World]], or Android-related app stores like [[Aptoide]], [[Cafe Bazaar]], [[F-Droid]], [[GetJar]], and [[Opera Mobile Store]]. In February 2014, 93% of [[mobile developers]] were targeting smartphones first for mobile app development.<ref>[http://www.w3.org/blog/2014/02/w3c-interview-vision-mobile-on-the-app-developer-economy-with-matos-kapetanakis-and-dimitris-michalakos/ W3C Interview: Vision Mobile on the App Developer Economy with Matos Kapetanakis and Dimitris Michalakos] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629101713/http://www.w3.org/blog/2014/02/w3c-interview-vision-mobile-on-the-app-developer-economy-with-matos-kapetanakis-and-dimitris-michalakos/ |date=29 June 2016 }}. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2015.</ref>
==Sales==
===By manufacturer===
{{See also|List of best-selling mobile phones|List of mobile phone brands by country}}
{| class="wikitable floatright" style="font-size: 87%;"
|-
|+ Market share of top-five worldwide mobile phone vendors, Q2 2022
|-
!|Rank
!|Manufacturer
!|Strategy<br /> Analytics<br /> report<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |date=2022-08-24 |title=Global Smartphone Market Share: By Quarter |url=https://www.counterpointresearch.com/global-smartphone-share/ |access-date=2022-08-28 |website=Counterpoint Research |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|| 1 || [[Samsung Electronics|Samsung]] || 21%
|-
|| 2 || [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] || 16%
|-
|| 3 || [[Xiaomi]]|| 13%
|-
|| 4 || [[OPPO Electronics|Oppo]] || 10%
|-
|| 5 || [[vivo (technology company)|Vivo]] || 9%
|-
|| || Others || 31%
|-
| colspan=5 |Note: Vendor shipments are<br /> branded shipments and exclude<br /> [[Original equipment manufacturer|OEM]] sales for all vendors.
|}
As of 2022, the top five manufacturers worldwide were Samsung (21%), Apple (16%), Xiaomi (13%), Oppo (10%), and Vivo (9%).<ref name="auto1"/>
;History
From 1983 to 1998, [[Motorola]] was market leader in mobile phones. [[Nokia]] was the market leader in mobile phones from 1998 to 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/farewell-nokia-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-mobile-pioneer/|title=Farewell Nokia: The rise and fall of a mobile pioneer|first=Roger|last=Cheng|website=CNET}}</ref> In Q1 2012, [[Samsung]] surpassed Nokia, selling 93.5 million units as against Nokia's 82.7 million units. Samsung has retained its top position since then.
Aside from Motorola, European brands such as Nokia, [[Siemens]] and [[Ericsson]] once held large sway over the global mobile phone market, and many new technologies were pioneered in Europe. By 2010, the influence of European companies had significantly decreased due to fierce competition from American and Asian companies, to where most technical innovation had shifted.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/feb/14/mobile-world-congress-phones-networks|title=How the smartphone made Europe look stupid|date=14 February 2010|website=the Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mobilityarena.com/non-chinese-smartphones/|title=Non-Chinese smartphones: These phones are not made in China - MobilityArena.com|first=Yomi Adegboye AKA Mister|last=Mobility|date=5 February 2020|website=mobilityarena.com}}</ref> Apple and Google, both of the United States, also came to dominate mobile phone software.<ref name="auto"/>
===By mobile phone operator===
{{main|Mobile phone operator}}The world's largest individual mobile operator by number of subscribers is [[China Mobile]], which has over 902 million mobile phone subscribers {{as of|2018|June|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.chinamobileltd.com/en/ir/operation_m.php |title = Operation Data |publisher = China Mobile |date = 2017-08-31}}</ref> Over 50 mobile operators have over ten million subscribers each, and over 150 mobile operators had at least one million subscribers by the end of 2009.<ref>Source: wireless intelligence</ref> In 2014, there were more than seven billion mobile phone subscribers worldwide, a number that is expected to keep growing.{{fact|date=July 2025}}{{update-inline|date=July 2025}}
{{clear}}
==Use==
{{see also|Smartphone#Use}}
[[File:Mobile phone subscribers 1997-2014 ITU.svg|thumb|upright=1.6|Mobile phone subscribers per 100 inhabitants. 2014 figure is estimated.]]
Mobile phones are used for a variety of purposes, such as keeping in touch with family members, for conducting business, and in order to have access to a telephone in the event of an emergency. Some people carry more than one mobile phone for different purposes, such as for business and personal use. Multiple SIM cards may be used to take advantage of the benefits of different calling plans. For example, a particular plan might provide for cheaper local calls, long-distance calls, international calls, or roaming.
The mobile phone has been used in a variety of diverse contexts in society. For example:
* A study by [[Motorola Mobility|Motorola]] found that one in ten mobile phone subscribers have a second phone that is often kept secret from other family members. These phones may be used to engage in such activities as extramarital affairs or clandestine business dealings.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1602044.stm |title=Millions keep secret mobile |work=BBC News |date=16 October 2001 |access-date=4 November 2009}}</ref>
* Some organizations assist victims of domestic violence by providing mobile phones for use in emergencies. These are often refurbished phones.<ref>{{cite web|first=Richard |last=Brooks |url=http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_S_helpphones13.3d74734.html |title=Donated cell phones help battered women |publisher=The Press-Enterprise |date=13 August 2007 |access-date=4 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925105500/http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_S_helpphones13.3d74734.html |archive-date=25 September 2009 }}</ref>
* The advent of widespread text-messaging has resulted in the [[cell phone novel]], the first literary genre to emerge from the cellular age, via [[text messaging]] to a website that collects the novels as a whole.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Goodyear |first=Dana |url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/12/22/081222fa_fact_goodyear |title=Letter from Japan: I ♥ Novels |magazine=The New Yorker |date=7 January 2009 |access-date=29 July 2009}}</ref>
* [[Mobile telephony]] also facilitates activism and [[citizen journalism]].
* The [[United Nations]] reported that mobile phones have spread faster than any other form of technology and can improve the livelihood of the poorest people in developing countries, by providing access to information in places where [[landline]]s or the Internet are not available, especially in the [[least developed countries]]. Use of mobile phones also spawns a wealth of micro-enterprises, by providing such work as selling airtime on the streets and repairing or refurbishing handsets.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=USTRE69D4XA20101014 | work=Reuters | first=Jonathan | last=Lynn | title=Mobile phones help lift poor out of poverty: U.N. study | access-date=3 December 2013}}</ref>
* In [[Mali]] and other African countries, people used to travel from village to village to let friends and relatives know about weddings, births, and other events. This can now be avoided in areas with mobile phone coverage, which are usually more extensive than areas with just land-line penetration.
* The TV industry has recently started using mobile phones to drive live TV viewing through mobile apps, advertising, [[social TV]], and [[mobile TV]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.campustvs.com/ |title=4 Ways Smartphones Can Save Live TV |publisher=Tvgenius.net |access-date=4 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514021048/http://www.campustvs.com/ |archive-date=14 May 2012 }}</ref> It is estimated that 86% of Americans use their mobile phone while watching TV.
* In some parts of the world, mobile phone sharing is common. Cell phone sharing is prevalent in urban India, as families and groups of friends often share one or more mobile phones among their members. There are obvious economic benefits, but often familial customs and traditional gender roles play a part.<ref>Donner, Jonathan, and Steenson, Molly Wright. "Beyond the Personal and Private: Modes of Mobile Phone Sharing in Urban India." In ''The Reconstruction of Space and Time: Mobile Communication Practices'', edited by Scott Campbell and Rich Ling, 231–250. Piscataway, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2008.</ref> It is common for a village to have access to only one mobile phone, perhaps owned by a teacher or missionary, which is available to all members of the village for necessary calls.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Hahn | first1 = Hans | last2 = Kibora | first2 = Ludovic | year = 2008 | title = The Domestication of the Mobile Phone: Oral Society and New ICT in Burkina Faso | journal = Journal of Modern African Studies | volume = 46 | pages = 87–109 | doi=10.1017/s0022278x07003084| s2cid = 154804246 }}</ref>
* Smartphones also have the use for individuals who suffer from diabetes. There are apps for patients with diabetes to self monitor their blood sugar, and can sync with flash monitors. The apps have a feature to send automated feedback or possible warnings to other family members or healthcare providers in the case of an emergency.
===Content distribution===
In 1998, one of the first examples of [[content distribution|distributing and selling media content]] through the mobile phone was the sale of [[ringtone]]s by [[Radiolinja]] in Finland. Soon afterwards, other media content appeared, such as news, video games, jokes, horoscopes, TV content and advertising. Most early content for mobile phones tended to be copies of [[legacy media]], such as banner advertisements or TV news highlight video clips. Recently, unique content for mobile phones has been emerging, from ringtones and [[ringback tones]] to [[mobisodes]], video content that has been produced exclusively for mobile phones.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}
===Mobile banking and payment===
[[File:Mobile payment 01.jpg|thumb|Mobile payment system]]
{{main|Mobile banking|Mobile payment}}
{{see also|Branchless banking|Contactless payment}}
In many countries, mobile phones are used to provide [[mobile banking]] services, which may include the ability to transfer cash payments by secure SMS text message. Kenya's [[M-PESA]] mobile banking service, for example, allows customers of the mobile phone operator [[Safaricom]] to hold cash balances which are recorded on their SIM cards. Cash can be deposited or withdrawn from M-PESA accounts at Safaricom retail outlets located throughout the country and can be transferred electronically from person to person and used to pay bills to companies.
[[Branchless banking]] has also been successful in South Africa and the [[Philippines]]. A pilot project in [[Bali]] was launched in 2011 by the [[International Finance Corporation]] and an [[Indonesia]]n bank, [[Bank Mandiri]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/03/01/branchless-banking-start-bali.html |title=Branchless banking to start in Bali |publisher=The Jakarta Post |date=13 April 2012 |access-date=4 June 2012}}</ref>
Mobile payments were first trialled in Finland in 1998 when two Coca-Cola vending machines in [[Espoo]] were enabled to work with SMS payments. Eventually, the idea spread and in 1999, the Philippines launched the country's first commercial mobile payments systems with mobile operators [[Globe Telecom|Globe]] and [[Smart Communications|Smart]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}
Some mobile phones can make [[mobile payment]]s via direct mobile billing schemes, or through [[contactless payment]]s if the phone and the [[point of sale]] support [[near field communication]] (NFC).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.banktech.com/blog/archives/2007/06/mobile_payments.html |title=Mobile Payments: Look to Korea |author=Feig, Nancy |publisher=banktech.com |date=25 June 2007 |access-date=29 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326155917/http://www.banktech.com/blog/archives/2007/06/mobile_payments.html |archive-date=26 March 2010 }}</ref> Enabling contactless payments through NFC-equipped mobile phones requires the co-operation of manufacturers, network operators, and retail merchants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://connectedplanetonline.com/mobile-apps/news/nfc-mobile-phone-explode-1110/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124001632/http://connectedplanetonline.com/mobile-apps/news/nfc-mobile-phone-explode-1110/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 January 2010 |title=NFC mobile phone set to explode |author=Ready, Sarah |publisher=connectedplanetonline.com |date=10 November 2009 |access-date=29 January 2011 }}
</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://gigaom.com/mobile/visa-testing-nfc-memory-cards-for-wireless-payments/ |title=VISA Testing NFC Memory Cards for Wireless Payments |author=Tofel, Kevin C. |publisher=gigaom.com |date=20 August 2010 |access-date=21 January 2011 |archive-date=21 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621023021/http://gigaom.com/mobile/visa-testing-nfc-memory-cards-for-wireless-payments/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Mobile tracking===
{{see also|Cellphone surveillance|Mobile phone tracking}}
Mobile phones are commonly used to collect ___location data. While the phone is turned on, the geographical ___location of a mobile phone can be determined easily (whether it is being used or not) using a technique known as [[multilateration]] to calculate the differences in time for a signal to travel from the mobile phone to each of several [[cell towers]] near the owner of the phone.<ref name="bbc-phone-locate">{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4738219.stm |title= Tracking a suspect by mobile phone |date= 3 August 2005 |work= BBC News |access-date= 14 March 2009}}</ref><ref name="foxnews-phone-locate">{{cite news|url= https://www.foxnews.com/story/cell-phone-tracking-can-locate-terrorists-but-only-where-its-legal/ |title= Cell Phone Tracking Can Locate Terrorists – But Only Where It's Legal |last= Miller |first= Joshua |date= 14 March 2009 |work= Fox News |access-date= 4 February 2014}}</ref>
The movements of a mobile phone user can be tracked by their service provider and, if desired, by law enforcement agencies and their governments. Both the [[SIM card]] and the handset can be tracked.<ref name="bbc-phone-locate"/>
China has proposed using this technology to track the commuting patterns of Beijing city residents.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2011/03/china_said_it_may_begin.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110624100746/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2011/03/china_said_it_may_begin.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 24 June 2011 |author= Cecilia Kang |title= China plans to track cellphone users, sparking human rights concerns |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= 3 March 2011}}</ref> In the UK and US, law enforcement and intelligence services use mobile phones to perform surveillance operations.<ref name="roving-bugs">{{cite news|url=http://news.cnet.com/FBI-taps-cell-phone-mic-as-eavesdropping-tool/2100-1029_3-6140191.html |title=FBI taps cell phone mic as eavesdropping tool |last=McCullagh |first=Declan |author2=Anne Broache |date=1 December 2006 |work=CNet News |access-date=14 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110182623/http://news.cnet.com/FBI-taps-cell-phone-mic-as-eavesdropping-tool/2100-1029_3-6140191.html |archive-date=10 November 2013 }}</ref>
Hackers have been able to track a phone's ___location, read messages, and record calls, through obtaining a subscriber's phone number.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/18/phone-number-hacker-read-texts-listen-calls-track-you|title=Your phone number is all a hacker needs to read texts, listen to calls and track you|first=Samuel|last=Gibbs|newspaper=The Guardian |date=18 April 2016|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref>
===Electronic waste regulation===
[[File:Handy schrott mobile phone scrap.jpg|right|thumb|Scrapped mobile phones]]
{{see also|Mobile phone recycling}}
Studies have shown that around 40–50% of the environmental impact of mobile phones occurs during the manufacture of their printed wiring boards and integrated circuits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.informinc.org/pages/media/the-secret-life-series/the-secret-life-of-cell-phones.html|title=The Secret Life Series – Environmental Impacts of Cell Phones|publisher=Inform, Inc.|access-date=4 February 2014}}</ref>
The average user replaces their mobile phone every 11 to 18 months,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.griffith.edu.au/engineering-information-technology/e-waste-research-group/facts-figures|title=E-waste research group, Facts and figures|publisher=Griffith University|access-date=3 December 2011}}</ref> and the discarded phones then contribute to [[electronic waste]]. Mobile phone manufacturers within [[Europe]] are subject to the [[Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive|WEEE directive]], and Australia has introduced a mobile phone recycling scheme.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arp.net.au/envcha.php|title=Mobile Phone Waste and The Environment|publisher=Aussie Recycling Program|access-date=3 December 2011}}</ref>
[[Apple Inc.]] had an advanced robotic disassembler and sorter called Liam specifically for recycling outdated or broken iPhones.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rujanavech |first1=Charissa |last2=Lessard |first2=Joe |last3=Chandler |first3=Sarah |last4=Shannon |first4=Sean |last5=Dahmus |first5=Jeffrey |last6=Guzzo |first6=Rob |title=Liam – An Innovation Story |url=https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/Liam_white_paper_Sept2016.pdf |publisher=Apple |access-date=10 May 2022 |date=September 2016}}</ref>
===Theft===
According to the [[Federal Communications Commission]], one out of three robberies involve the theft of a cellular phone.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} Police data in San Francisco show that half of all robberies in 2012 were thefts of cellular phones.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} An [[online petition]] on [[Change.org]], called ''Secure our Smartphones'', urged smartphone manufacturers to install [[kill switch]]es in their devices to make them unusable if stolen. The petition is part of a joint effort by New York Attorney General [[Eric Schneiderman]] and San Francisco District Attorney [[George Gascón]] and was directed to the [[CEO]]s of the major smartphone manufacturers and telecommunication carriers.<ref>[http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/plea-urges-anti-theft-phone-tech/Content?oid=2447711 Adams, Mike "Plea Urges Anti-Theft Phone Tech"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016082504/http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/plea-urges-anti-theft-phone-tech/Content?oid=2447711 |date=16 October 2014 }} ''San Francisco Examiner'' 7 June 2013 p. 5</ref> On 10 June 2013, Apple announced that it would install a "[[smartphone kill switch|kill switch]]" on its [[iOS 7|next iPhone operating system]], due to debut in October 2013.<ref>"Apple to add kill switches to help combat iPhone theft" by Jaxon Van Derbeken ''San Francisco Chronicle'' 11 June 2013 p. 1</ref>
All mobile phones have a unique identifier called [[International Mobile Station Equipment Identity|IMEI]]. Anyone can report their phone as lost or stolen with their Telecom Carrier, and the IMEI would be blacklisted with a central registry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imeipro.info/|title=IMEIpro – free IMEI number check service|website=www.imeipro.info|access-date=29 September 2016}}</ref> Telecom carriers, depending upon local regulation can or must implement blocking of blacklisted phones in their network. There are, however, a number of ways to circumvent a blacklist. One method is to send the phone to a country where the telecom carriers are not required to implement the blacklisting and sell it there,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitaltrends.com/android/combatting-theft-with-stolen-phone-blacklists/|title=How stolen phone blacklists will tamp down on crime, and what to do in the mean time|date=27 November 2012|language=en-US|access-date=29 September 2016}}</ref> another involves altering the phone's IMEI number.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unlockphonetool.com/how-to-change-imei-number/|title=How To Change IMEI Number|date=1 July 2015|language=en-US|access-date=29 September 2016}}</ref> Even so, mobile phones typically have less value on the second-hand market if the phones original IMEI is blacklisted.
===Conflict minerals===
{{main|Conflict minerals}}
Demand for metals used in mobile phones and other electronics fuelled the [[Second Congo War]], which claimed almost 5.5 million lives.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/democraticrepublicofcongo/8792068/Is-your-mobile-phone-helping-fund-war-in-Congo.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/democraticrepublicofcongo/8792068/Is-your-mobile-phone-helping-fund-war-in-Congo.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Is your mobile phone helping fund war in Congo? |date= 27 September 2011 |work=The Daily Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In a 2012 news story, ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported: "In unsafe mines deep underground in eastern Congo, [[Child labour|children are working]] to extract minerals essential for the electronics industry. The profits from the minerals finance the bloodiest conflict since the second world war; the war has lasted nearly 20 years and has recently flared up again. For the last 15 years, the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] has been a major source of natural resources for the mobile phone industry."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/blog/congo-child-labour-mobile-minerals |title= Children of the Congo who risk their lives to supply our mobile phones |date= 7 December 2012 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> The company [[Fairphone]] has worked to develop a mobile phone that does not contain [[Conflict resource|conflict minerals]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}
==={{anchor|Kosher phone}}Kosher phones===
Due to concerns by the [[Orthodox Jewish]] rabbinate in Britain that texting by youths could waste time and lead to "immodest" communication, the rabbinate recommended that phones with text-messaging capability not be used by children; to address this, they gave their official approval to a brand of "Kosher" phones with no texting capabilities. Although these phones are intended to prevent [[Immodesty#Judaism|immodesty]], some vendors report good sales to adults who prefer the simplicity of the devices; other Orthodox Jews question the need for them.<ref>{{cite news |first=Matthew |last=Brunwasser |url=https://theworld.org/stories/2013/08/15/kosher-phones-britains-orthodox-jews |title=Kosher Phones For Britain's Orthodox Jews |work=Public Radio International |date= 25 January 2012 }}</ref>
In Israel, similar phones to kosher phones with restricted features exist to observe the [[Shabbat|sabbath]]; under Orthodox Judaism, the use of any electrical device is generally prohibited during this time, other than to save lives, or reduce the risk of death or similar needs. Such phones are approved for use by essential workers, such as health, security, and public service workers.<ref name=kosher>{{cite web|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/154153|title=Introducing: A 'Kosher Phone' Permitted on Shabbat|first= Rachel |last= Hirshfeld |date= 26 March 2012 |work= Arutz Sheva}}</ref>
===Restrictions===
Restrictions on the use of mobile phones are applied in a number of different contexts, often with the goal of health, safety, security or proper functioning of an establishment, or as a matter of etiquette. Such contexts include:
====While driving====
{{Main|Mobile phones and driving safety|Texting while driving}}
[[File:Hand held phone in car (color balanced).JPG|thumb|right|A driver using two handheld mobile phones at once]]
[[File:NocellphonesSouthsidePlaceTX.JPG|thumb|A sign in the US restricting cell phone use to certain times of day (no cell phone use between 7:30–9:00 am and 2:00–4:15 pm)]]
Mobile phone use while driving, including talking on the phone, texting, or operating other phone features, is common but controversial. It is widely considered dangerous due to [[distracted driving]]. Being distracted while operating a motor vehicle has been shown to increase the risk of accidents. In September 2010, the US [[National Highway Traffic Safety Administration]] (NHTSA) reported that 995 people were killed by [[Restrictions on cell phone use by U.S. drivers|drivers distracted by cell phones]]. In March 2011, a US insurance company, [[State Farm Insurance]], announced the results of a study which showed 19% of drivers surveyed accessed the Internet on a smartphone while driving.<ref name=post>{{cite news |title=Quit Googling yourself and drive: About 20% of drivers using Web behind the wheel, study says |work=Los Angeles Times |date=4 March 2011 |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/03/honk-if-youre-googling-20-of-drivers-using-web-behind-the-wheel-says-study.html/ }}</ref> Many jurisdictions prohibit the use of mobile phones while driving. In Egypt, Israel, Japan, Portugal, and Singapore, both handheld and hands-free use of a mobile phone (which uses a [[speakerphone]]) is banned. In other countries, including the UK and France and in many [[Restrictions on cell phone use by US drivers|US states]], only handheld phone use is banned while hands-free use is permitted.
A 2011 study reported that over 90% of college students surveyed text (initiate, reply or read) while driving.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = The Choice to Text and Drive in Younger Drivers: Behaviour May Shape Attitude|last1 = Atchley|first1 = Paul|date = January 2011|journal = Accident Analysis and Prevention|doi = 10.1016/j.aap.2010.08.003|pmid = 21094307|first2 = Stephanie|last2 = Atwood|last3 = Boulton|first3 = Aaron|volume=43|issue = 1|pages=134–142}}</ref>
The scientific literature on the dangers of driving while sending a text message from a mobile phone, or ''[[texting while driving]]'', is limited. A simulation study at the [[University of Utah]] found a sixfold increase in distraction-related accidents when texting.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070714/NEWS01/707140333&template=printart|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080429193451/http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070714/NEWS01/707140333&template=printart|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-04-29|title=Text messaging not illegal but data clear on its peril|publisher= [[Democrat and Chronicle]]}}</ref>
Due to the increasing complexity of mobile phones, they are often more like mobile computers in their available uses. This has introduced additional difficulties for law enforcement officials when attempting to distinguish one usage from another in drivers using their devices. This is more apparent in countries which ban both handheld and hands-free usage, rather than those which ban handheld use only, as officials cannot easily tell which function of the mobile phone is being used simply by looking at the driver. This can lead to drivers being stopped for using their device illegally for a phone call when, in fact, they were using the device legally, for example, when using the phone's incorporated controls for car stereo, [[GPS]] or [[satnav]].
A 2010 study reviewed the incidence of mobile phone use while [[cycling]] and its effects on behaviour and safety.<ref>de Waard, D., Schepers, P., Ormel, W. and Brookhuis, K., 2010, ''Mobile phone use while cycling: Incidence and effects on behaviour and safety'', ''Ergonomics'', Vol 53, No. 1, January 2010, pp. 30–42.</ref> In 2013, a national survey in the US reported the number of drivers who reported using their cellphones to access the Internet while driving had risen to nearly one of four.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/12/distracted-driving-accessing-internet/3497721/|title=Drivers still Web surfing while driving, survey finds|website=USA Today |date=12 Nov 2013 |first=Larry |last=Copeland}}</ref> A study conducted by the University of Vienna examined approaches for reducing inappropriate and problematic use of mobile phones, such as using mobile phones while driving.<ref>{{cite journal|url = http://homepage.univie.ac.at/andreas.hergovich/php/reaching_the_mobile_respondent_soc.sci.comp.rev.pdf |title = Reaching the Mobile Respondent: Determinants of High-Level Mobile Phone Use Among a High-Coverage Group |journal = Social Science Computer Review |volume = 28 |issue = 3 |pages = 336–349 |doi = 10.1177/0894439309353099|year = 2010 |last1 = Burger |first1 = Christoph |last2 = Riemer |first2 = Valentin |last3 = Grafeneder |first3 = Jürgen |last4 = Woisetschläger |first4 = Bianca |last5 = Vidovic |first5 = Dragana |last6 = Hergovich |first6 = Andreas |s2cid = 61640965 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421221207/https://homepage.univie.ac.at/andreas.hergovich/php/reaching_the_mobile_respondent_soc.sci.comp.rev.pdf |archive-date=21 Apr 2022}}</ref>
Accidents involving a driver being distracted by talking on a mobile phone have begun to be prosecuted as negligence similar to speeding. In the [[United Kingdom]], from 27 February 2007, motorists who are caught using a hand-held mobile phone while driving will have three penalty points added to their license in addition to the fine of £60.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6287005.stm|title=Drivers face new phone penalties|date=22 January 2007|via=BBC News}}</ref> This increase was introduced to try to stem the increase in drivers ignoring the law.<ref name="BBC2">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6382077.stm|title=Careless talk|date=22 February 2007|via=BBC News}}</ref> [[Japan]] prohibits all mobile phone use while driving, including use of hands-free devices. New Zealand has banned hand-held cell phone use since 1 November 2009. Many states in the United States have banned texting on cell phones while driving. Illinois became the 17th American state to enforce this law.<ref name="CNN">{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/06/illinois.texting.ban/index.html | work=CNN | title=Illinois to ban texting while driving | access-date=12 May 2010 | date=6 August 2009}}</ref> {{as of|2010|July|}}, 30 states had banned texting while driving, with Kentucky becoming the most recent addition on 15 July.<ref name="Courier-Journal">{{cite news|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100714/NEWS01/7140399/1008/NEWS01/Texting+while+driving+ban++other+new+Kentucky+laws+take+effect+Thursday |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119183044/http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100714/NEWS01/7140399/1008/NEWS01/Texting+while+driving+ban++other+new+Kentucky+laws+take+effect+Thursday |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 January 2013 |title=Texting while driving ban, other new Kentucky laws take effect today |first=Stephanie |last=Steitzer |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] |date=14 July 2010 |access-date=15 July 2010}}</ref>
[[Public health law|Public Health Law Research]] maintains a list of distracted driving laws in the United States. This database of laws provides a comprehensive view of the provisions of laws that restrict the use of mobile communication devices while driving for all 50 states and the District of Columbia between 1992 when first law was passed, through 1 December 2010. The dataset contains information on 22 dichotomous, continuous or [[categorical variable]]s including, for example, activities regulated (e.g., texting versus talking, hands-free versus handheld), targeted populations, and exemptions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://publichealthlawresearch.org/product/distracted-driving-laws-map |title=Distracted Driving Laws |publisher=Public Health Law Research |date=15 July 2011 |access-date=27 June 2014}}</ref>
====On aircraft====
{{Excerpt|Mobile phones on aircraft}}
{{see also|Airplane mode}}
====While walking====
{{main|Smartphones and pedestrian safety}}
[[File:Crowd of people with phones.jpg|thumb|right|People using phones while walking]]
Between 2011 and 2019, an estimated 30,000 walking injuries occurred in the US related to using a cellphone, leading to some jurisdictions attempting to ban pedestrians from using their cellphones.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Nasar|first1=Jack L.|last2=Troyer|first2=Dereck|title=Pedestrian injuries due to mobile phone use in public places|journal=Accident Analysis and Prevention|volume=57|pages=91–95|date=21 March 2013|doi=10.1016/j.aap.2013.03.021|pmid=23644536|s2cid=8743434|url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/40d4/4805cd7aa72e53355f61c07427d8a71ccff9.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731200146/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/40d4/4805cd7aa72e53355f61c07427d8a71ccff9.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 July 2017|access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Grabar|first1=Henry|title=The Absurdity of Honolulu's New Law Banning Pedestrians From Looking at Their Cellphones|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2017/07/28/the_absurdity_of_honolulu_s_new_law_banning_pedestrians_from_looking_at.html|access-date=31 July 2017|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=28 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Heid |first=Markham |date=2024-01-23 |title=Walking and Using a Phone Is Bad for Your Health |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/23/well/smartphone-walking-posture-mood.html |access-date=2025-03-27 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Other countries, such as China and the Netherlands, have introduced special lanes for smartphone users to help direct and manage them.<ref name=G14>{{citation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2014/sep/15/china-mobile-phone-lane-distracted-walking-pedestrians |title=Chinese city opens 'phone lane' for texting pedestrians |newspaper=The Guardian |author=Leo Benedictus |date=15 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=DT15>{{citation |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/11674215/Antwerp-introduces-text-walking-lanes-for-pedestrians-using-mobile-phones.html |author=David Chazan |___location=Paris |date=14 Jun 2015 |newspaper=Daily Telegraph |title=Antwerp introduces 'text walking lanes' for pedestrians using mobile phones}}</ref>
====In prisons====
{{excerpt|Mobile phones in prison}}
==== In hospitals ====
As of 2007, some hospitals had banned mobile devices due to a [[List of common misconceptions|common misconception]] that their use would create significant [[electromagnetic interference]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mikkelson |first=Barbara |date=23 July 2003 |title=Hospital Cell Phone Death |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sick-call/ |access-date=16 June 2024 |website=[[Snopes]]}}</ref><ref>Rachel C. Vreeman, Aaron E. Carroll, "Medical Myths", ''[[The British Medical Journal]]'' (now called ''The BMJ'') '''335''':1288 (20 December 2007), {{doi|10.1136/bmj.39420.420370.25}}</ref>
====Health effects====
{{Main|Mobile phone radiation and health}}
{{See also|Nomophobia|Mobile phone overuse}}
[[Screen time]], the amount of time using a device with a screen, has become an issue for mobile phones since the adaptation of smartphones.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/screen+time |title=Definition of SCREEN TIME |website=www.merriam-webster.com |access-date=2019-11-09}}</ref> Research is being conducted to show the correlation between screen time and the mental and physical harm in child development.<ref name="Stiglic e023191">{{cite journal |last1=Stiglic |first1=Neza |last2=Viner |first2=Russell M |title=Effects of screentime on the health and well-being of children and adolescents: a systematic review of reviews |journal=BMJ Open |date=3 January 2019 |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=e023191 |doi=10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023191 |pmid=30606703 |pmc=6326346}}</ref> To prevent harm, some parents and even governments have placed restrictions on its usage.<ref name=":5">{{Cite magazine |url=https://time.com/3682621/this-country-just-made-it-illegal-to-give-kids-too-much-screen-time/ |title=This Place Just Made it Illegal to Give Kids Too Much Screen Time |magazine=Time |access-date=2019-11-08}}</ref><ref name=":22">{{Cite journal |last1=Radesky |first1=Jenny |last2=Christakis |first2=Dimitri |date=2016 |title=Media and Young Minds |journal=Pediatrics |volume=138 |issue=5 |pages=e20162591 |doi=10.1542/peds.2016-2591 |pmid=27940793 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
There have been rumors that mobile phone use can cause cancer, but this is a myth.<ref name=cruk>{{cite web |publisher=[[Cancer Research UK]] |date=8 February 2022 |title=Do mobile phones, 4G or 5G cause cancer? |url=https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/cancer-myths/do-mobile-phones-cause-cancer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Karipidis |first1=Ken |last2=Baaken |first2=Dan |last3=Loney |first3=Tom |last4=Blettner |first4=Maria |last5=Brzozek |first5=Chris |last6=Elwood |first6=Mark |last7=Narh |first7=Clement |last8=Orsini |first8=Nicola |last9=Röösli |first9=Martin |last10=Paulo |first10=Marilia Silva |last11=Lagorio |first11=Susanna |date=2024-08-30 |title=The effect of exposure to radiofrequency fields on cancer risk in the general and working population: A systematic review of human observational studies – Part I: Most researched outcomes |journal=Environment International |volume=191 |article-number=108983 |doi=10.1016/j.envint.2024.108983 |issn=0160-4120|doi-access=free |pmid=39241333 |bibcode=2024EnInt.19108983K |hdl=10362/172700 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
While there are rumors of mobile phones causing cancer, there was a study conducted by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that stated the there could be an increase risk of brain tumors with the use of smartphones, this is not confirmed. They also stated that with the lack of data for the research and the usage periods of 15 years will warrant further research for smartphones and the cause of brain tumors.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Naeem |first=Zahid |date=October 2014 |title=Health risks associated with mobile phones use |journal=International Journal of Health Sciences |volume=8 |issue=4 |pages=V-VI |pmid=25780365 |pmc=4350886 }}</ref>
====Educational impact====
{{see also|Mobile phone use in schools}}
A study by the [[London School of Economics]] found that banning mobile phones in schools could increase pupils' academic performance, providing benefits equal to one extra week of schooling per year.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Social media 'more stressful than exams'|last=Davis|first=Anna|date=18 May 2015|work=[[London Evening Standard]]|page=13}}</ref>
== Culture and popularity ==
{{See also|SMS language|Xelibri}}
Mobile phones are considered an important human invention as it has been one of the most widely used and sold pieces of consumer technology.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> They have also become culturally symbolic. In [[Japanese mobile phone culture]] for example, mobile phones are often decorated with charms. They have also become fashion symbols at times.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-10-14 |title=Cell phone users choosing fashion over function |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna15255577 |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> The [[Motorola Razr V3]] and [[LG Chocolate]] are two examples of devices that were popular for being fashionable while not necessarily focusing on the original purpose of mobile phones, i.e. a device to provide mobile telephony.<ref>{{Cite news |editor-last=Pell |editor-first=Alex |date=2023-07-18 |title=Test Bench: Fashion phones |newspaper=[[The Times]] |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-100-tech/hardware-profile/article/test-bench-fashion-phones-xsjfvc2kshd |access-date=2023-07-18 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref>
Some have also suggested that mobile phones or smartphones are a [[status symbol]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lasco |first=Gideon |date=2015-10-22 |title=The smartphone as status symbol |url=https://opinion.inquirer.net/89605/the-smartphone-as-status-symbol |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en}}</ref> For example a research paper suggested that owning specifically an [[Apple iPhone]] was seen to be a status symbol.<ref>{{Cite news | newspaper=Deccan Chronicle |title=iPhone, iPad are status symbols: Research | date=9 July 2018 |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/technology/mobiles-and-tabs/090718/iphone-ipad-are-status-symbols-research.html}}</ref>
[[Text messaging]], which are performed on mobile phones, has also led to the creation of '[[SMS language]]'. It also led to the growing popularity of [[emoji]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Strat-Comm |first=Sailient |date=2018-01-06 |title=The evolution of emoji into culture |url=https://medium.com/@sailientstrat/the-evolution-of-emoji-into-culture-2298f407cd35 |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=Medium |language=en}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|Telephones|Telecommunication|Internet}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Camera phone]]
* [[Cellular frequencies]]
* [[Customer proprietary network information]]
* [[Field telephone]]
* [[List of countries by number of mobile phones in use]]
* [[Mobile broadband]]
* [[Mobile Internet device]] (MID)
* [[Mobile phone accessories]]
* [[Mobile Phone Museum]]
* [[Mobile phones on aircraft]]
* [[Mobile phone use in schools]]
* [[
* [[
* [[Form factor (mobile phones)|Mobile phone form factor]]
* [[Optical head-mounted display]]
* [[OpenBTS]]
* [[Pager]]
* [[Personal digital assistant]]
* [[
* [[
* [[Two-way radio]]
** [[Professional mobile radio]]
* [[Push-button telephone]]
* [[Radiotelephone]]
* [[Rechargeable battery]]
* [[Smombie]]
* [[Surveillance]]
* [[Tethering]]
* [[VoIP phone]]
{{div col end}}
== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Further reading==
<!-- alphabetical order please -->
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* Agar, Jon, ''Constant Touch: A Global History of the Mobile Phone'', 2004 {{ISBN|1-84046-541-7}}
* {{cite journal |last=Fessenden |first=R. A. |year=1908 |title=Wireless Telephony |publisher=The Institution |journal=Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution |pages=[https://archive.org/details/WirelessTelephonyFessenden/page/n28 161]–196 |url=https://archive.org/details/WirelessTelephonyFessenden |access-date=7 August 2009 }}
* Glotz, Peter & Bertsch, Stefan, eds. ''Thumb Culture: The Meaning of Mobile Phones for Society'', 2005
* [[Gerard Goggin|Goggin, Gerard]], ''Global Mobile Media'' (New York: Routledge, 2011), p. 176. {{ISBN|978-0-415-46918-0}}
* {{cite journal | last1 = Jain | first1 = S. Lochlann | year = 2002 | title = Urban Errands: The Means of Mobility | url = http://joc.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/2/3/385 | journal = Journal of Consumer Culture | volume = 2 | pages = 385–404 | doi = 10.1177/146954050200200305 | s2cid = 145577892 | url-access = subscription }}
* Katz, James E. & Aakhus, Mark, eds. ''Perpetual Contact: Mobile Communication, Private Talk, Public Performance'', 2002
* Kavoori, Anandam & Arceneaux, Noah, eds. ''The Cell Phone Reader: Essays in Social Transformation'', 2006
* Kennedy, Pagan. [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/magazine/who-made-that-cellphone.html Who Made That Cellphone?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171104211818/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/magazine/who-made-that-cellphone.html |date=4 November 2017 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', 15 March 2013, p. MM19
* Kopomaa, Timo. ''The City in Your Pocket'', Gaudeamus 2000
* [[Paul Levinson|Levinson, Paul]], ''Cellphone: The Story of the World's Most Mobile Medium, and How It Has Transformed Everything!'', 2004 {{ISBN|1-4039-6041-0}}
* Ling, Rich, ''The Mobile Connection: the Cell Phone's Impact on Society'', 2004 {{ISBN|1-55860-936-9}}
* Ling, Rich and Pedersen, Per, eds. ''Mobile Communications: Re-negotiation of the Social Sphere'', 2005 {{ISBN|1-85233-931-4}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051105040744/http://www.richardling.com/ Home page of Rich Ling]
* Nyíri, Kristóf, ed. ''Mobile Communication: Essays on Cognition and Community'', 2003
* Nyíri, Kristóf, ed. ''Mobile Learning: Essays on Philosophy, Psychology and Education'', 2003
* Nyíri, Kristóf, ed. ''Mobile Democracy: Essays on Society, Self and Politics'', 2003
* Nyíri, Kristóf, ed. ''A Sense of Place: The Global and the Local in Mobile Communication'', 2005
* Nyíri, Kristóf, ed. '' Mobile Understanding: The Epistemology of Ubiquitous Communication'', 2006
* [[Sadie Plant|Plant, Sadie]], [https://web.archive.org/web/20141020080938/https://www.campussims.com/ ''on the mobile – the effects of mobile telephones on social and individual life''], 2001
* [[Howard Rheingold|Rheingold, Howard]], ''Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution'', 2002 {{ISBN|0-7382-0861-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Singh |first=Rohit |title=Mobile phones for development and profit: a win-win scenario |publisher=Overseas Development Institute |date=April 2009 |page=2 |url=http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/odi-publications/opinions/128-mobile-phones-business-development-private-sector.pdf |access-date=5 April 2009 |archive-date=16 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416112051/http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/odi-publications/opinions/128-mobile-phones-business-development-private-sector.pdf |url-status=dead }}
{{Refend}}
==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Mobile telephones}}
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Commons category|Mobile phones}}
*
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070701050620/http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1636836_1389493,00.html "The Long Odyssey of the Cell Phone"], 15 photos with captions from ''Time'' magazine
* [http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/episodes/cellphone-a-ring-heard-around-the-world ''Cell Phone, the ring heard around the world''] – a video documentary by the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]
{{Mobile phones}}
{{Mobile telecommunications standards}}
{{Telephony}}
{{Telecommunications}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:2000s fads and trends]]
[[Category:Embedded systems]]
[[Category:Mobile telecommunication services]]
[[Category:Mobile telecommunications]]
[[Category:New media]]
[[Category:Radio technology]]
[[Category:Telecommunications-related introductions in 1973]]
[[Category:Telephony]]
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